Time Signature Wow...

Genre: djent

Whether or not djent is a genre is one of many points of contention in the metal community with haters typically denying it genre status and aficionados embracing it as a genre. Whatever people think, to me, djent is emerging as a genre with modes of expression and other elements appearing on various releases and embrased by various artists. One of these artists is Polish progressive metal band Disperse.

On their second album "Living Mirrors", they deliver well composed and varied music, characterized by a number of progressive features. The album is generally dynamically structured with crushingly heavy passages appearing side by side with mellow parts and sweeping atmospheric passages. Much like Animals As Leaders and Chimp Spanner, modern jazz rock is an integral element on "Living Mirrors", which is particularly reflected in the leads and the more atmospheric parts. True to the djent sound, many of the heavier parts evovle around syncopated guitar riffs that are rhythmically challenging. Unlike Chimp Spanner and Animals As Leaders, Disperse is not a purely instrumental band, which is why their compositions are a tad less complex. The quite soft vocal style is perhaps slightly underwhelmeing, but it still goes quite well together with the atmospheric nature of Disperse's music, and - well - it is much preferabl to the awful screaming vocal used by the likes of Periphery.

Being in the djent end of the progressive metal universe, this album is probably not for everyone. If you are a djent-hater, do yourself a favor and stay away from this album (and do me a favor and shut the fuck up with your purist complaints), if you are into djenty progressive metal or jazz rock/metal, then, by all means check the album out.